The 43rd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1959. The event was part of the 1959 USAC National Championship Trail and was also race 2 of 9 in the 1959 World Championship of Drivers.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
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Indianapolis 500 | |||||
Sanctioning body | USAC | ||||
Date | May 30, 1959 | ||||
Winner | Rodger Ward | ||||
Winning team | Leader Cards | ||||
Average speed | 135.857 mph (218.641 km/h) | ||||
Pole position | Johnny Thomson | ||||
Pole speed | 145.908 mph (234.816 km/h) | ||||
Most laps led | Rodger Ward (130) | ||||
Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
Pace car | Buick Electra 225 | ||||
Pace car driver | Sam Hanks | ||||
Starter | Bill Vanderwater[1] | ||||
Estimated attendance | 180,000[2] | ||||
Chronology | |||||
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Rodger Ward earned the first of two career Indy 500 victories. A record sixteen cars completed the full 500 miles.
All cars were required to have roll bars for the first time.[3]
Two drivers, Jerry Unser and Bob Cortner, were killed in separate crashes during the month. On May 2, Unser lost control in Turn Four, spun, and flipped down the main stretch. The car caught fire and Unser suffered significant burns; he died from complications of his burns on May 17. On May 19, rookie Cortner crashed in turn three after being pushed by a wind gust. He was killed instantly of head injuries.[4]
On the morning of pole day, Tony Bettenhausen suffered a bad crash during a practice run. His car hit the outside wall and flipped over the inside guardrail. Bettenhausen escaped the crash with only minor injuries, and would qualify on the second weekend of time trials.
After three years of retirement, Duane Carter returned to the cockpit, and qualified for his ninth Indianapolis 500 start.
Time trials were scheduled for four days:
Row | Inside | Middle | Outside | |||
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1 | 3 | Johnny Thomson | 44 | Eddie Sachs | 16 | Jim Rathmann |
2 | 73 | Dick Rathmann | 48 | Bobby Grim R | 5 | Rodger Ward |
3 | 74 | Bob Veith | 19 | Eddie Johnson | 88 | Gene Hartley |
4 | 9 | Don Branson R | 33 | Johnny Boyd | 37 | Duane Carter |
5 | 66 | Jimmy Daywalt | 24 | Jack Turner | 1 | Tony Bettenhausen |
6 | 99 | Paul Goldsmith | 10 | A. J. Foyt | 64 | Pat Flaherty W |
7 | 7 | Jud Larson | 6 | Jimmy Bryan W | 71 | Chuck Arnold R |
8 | 8 | Len Sutton | 89 | Al Herman | 65 | Bob Christie |
9 | 15 | Don Freeland | 87 | Red Amick R | 45 | Paul Russo |
10 | 57 | Al Keller | 47 | Chuck Weyant | 53 | Bill Cheesbourg |
11 | 77 | Mike Magill | 49 | Ray Crawford | 58 | Jim McWithey R |
Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Constructor | Qual | Rank | Laps | Time/Retired | Points |
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1 | 6 | 5 | Rodger Ward | Watson-Offenhauser | 144.03 | 7 | 200 | 3:40:49.20 | 8 |
2 | 3 | 16 | Jim Rathmann | Watson-Offenhauser | 144.43 | 4 | 200 | + 0:23.28 | 6 |
3 | 1 | 3 | Johnny Thomson | Lesovsky-Offenhauser | 145.90 | 1 | 200 | + 0:50.64 | 51 |
4 | 15 | 1 | Tony Bettenhausen | Epperly-Offenhauser | 142.72 | 18 | 200 | + 1:47.09 | 3 |
5 | 16 | 99 | Paul Goldsmith | Epperly-Offenhauser | 142.67 | 19 | 200 | + 2:06.44 | 2 |
6 | 11 | 33 | Johnny Boyd | Epperly-Offenhauser | 142.81 | 16 | 200 | + 3:16.98 | |
7 | 12 | 37 | Duane Carter | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 142.79 | 17 | 200 | + 4:09.92 | |
8 | 8 | 19 | Eddie Johnson | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 144.00 | 9 | 200 | + 4:10.53 | |
9 | 27 | 45 | Paul Russo | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 142.38 | 22 | 200 | + 4:11.04 | |
10 | 17 | 10 | A. J. Foyt | Kuzma-Offenhauser | 142.64 | 20 | 200 | + 4:14.48 | |
11 | 9 | 88 | Gene Hartley | Kuzma-Offenhauser | 143.57 | 10 | 200 | + 5:42.48 | |
12 | 7 | 74 | Bob Veith | Moore-Offenhauser | 144.02 | 8 | 200 | + 6:09.73 | |
13 | 23 | 89 | Al Herman | Dunn-Offenhauser | 141.93 | 29 | 200 | + 6:40.40 | |
14 | 13 | 66 | Jimmy Daywalt | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 144.68 | 3 | 200 | + 6:41.54 | |
15 | 21 | 71 | Chuck Arnold R | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 142.11 | 24 | 200 | + 8:19.86 | |
16 | 33 | 58 | Jim McWithey R | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 141.21 | 33 | 200 | + 11:41.69 | |
17 | 2 | 44 | Eddie Sachs | Kuzma-Offenhauser | 145.42 | 2 | 182 | Spun off | |
18 | 28 | 57 | Al Keller | Kuzma-Offenhauser | 142.05 | 27 | 163 | Engine | |
19 | 18 | 64 | Pat Flaherty W | Watson-Offenhauser | 142.39 | 21 | 162 | Accident | |
20 | 4 | 73 | Dick Rathmann | Watson-Offenhauser | 144.24 | 5 | 150 | Fire | |
21 | 30 | 53 | Bill Cheesbourg | Kuzma-Offenhauser | 141.78 | 30 | 147 | Magneto | |
22 | 25 | 15 | Don Freeland | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 143.05 | 14 | 136 | Magneto | |
23 | 32 | 49 | Ray Crawford | Elder-Offenhauser | 141.34 | 32 | 115 | Accident | |
24 | 10 | 9 | Don Branson R | Phillips-Offenhauser | 143.31 | 12 | 112 | Suspension | |
25 | 24 | 65 | Bob Christie | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 143.24 | 13 | 109 | Engine | |
26 | 5 | 48 | Bobby Grim R | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 144.22 | 6 | 85 | Magneto | |
27 | 14 | 24 | Jack Turner | Christensen-Offenhauser | 143.47 | 11 | 47 | Fuel leak | |
28 | 29 | 47 | Chuck Weyant | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 141.95 | 28 | 45 | Accident | |
29 | 19 | 7 | Jud Larson | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 142.29 | 23 | 45 | Accident | |
30 | 31 | 77 | Mike Magill | Sutton-Offenhauser | 141.48 | 31 | 45 | Accident | |
31 | 26 | 87 | Red Amick R | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 142.92 | 15 | 45 | Accident | |
32 | 22 | 8 | Len Sutton | Lesovsky-Offenhauser | 142.10 | 26 | 34 | Accident | |
33 | 20 | 6 | Jimmy Bryan W | Epperly-Offenhauser | 142.11 | 25 | 1 | Engine |
W Former Indianapolis 500 winner
R Indianapolis 500 Rookie
All entrants utilized Firestone tires.
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The race was carried live on the IMS Radio Network. Sid Collins served as chief announcer. Fred Agabashian joined the crew for the first time as "driver expert." The broadcast reached 385 affiliates, including Fairbanks, Alaska.[13]
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network | ||
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Booth Announcers | Turn Reporters | Pit/garage reporters |
Chief Announcer: Sid Collins |
Turn 1: Bill Frosh |
Greg Smith (north) Jack Shapiro (center) Luke Walton (south) |